Periodizing for the Games

Ben Bergeron

May 6, 2017

CrossFit is training for the unknown and unknowable, but for top athletes, knowing the date of game day changes the game, Ben Bergeron says.

“We’re no longer training for the unknown and unknowable. We’re no longer training for ‘a constant, ready state,’” the co-owner and head coach of CrossFit New England says of athletes competing at Regionals and the CrossFit Games.

He adds: “We know when game day is. It’s the middle of July.”

Likewise, Bergeron breaks up the year so his athletes peak at the Games:

August: rest and recovery.

September and October: strength.

November and December: speed strength.

January: solely dedicated to weaknesses.

February and March: met-cons.

April and May: Regional prep.

June and July: Games prep.

In the case of Regional competition, where the workouts are known weeks before game day, it’s “irresponsible” not to train the movements if the goal is to go the Games, Bergeron says.

“Those six weeks, we are no longer CrossFitters,” he explains. “We are deadlift-box jump specialists, we are thruster specialists, we are Amanda specialists. … We specialize those workouts. We excel at them. We know the workouts inside, outside cold, frontwards and backwards. We know exactly the stimulus. … We are peaked at those movements.”